Day 10 - Going Home

Our last sunset in Cairns

Sadly, all things must come to an end. We woke bright and early - 3:30 to be exact and we said our sad goodbyes to Mrs. Titus (we miss you a lot, if you're reading this!) Then, we arrived at the airport and went through the routine we were all now very familiar with, of checking our bags, getting ready to depart, we were exhausted but we managed to stay alert enough to at least get onto the plane with no problems. From Cairns to Sydney, I dozed on and off, even though I was intent on finishing The Hunger Games, sleep was inevitable. On the flight from Sydney to LAX, however, I didn't sleep at all. I sat next to Bridget and we talked for a while, and I watched a lot of movies, including Tangled (such a funny movie, I reccomend it!) The highlight of this flight was the insane turbulence! We were going through a storm and I have been on planes literally hundreds of times and never felt this much turbulence before, we were being rocked violently side to side and at some point we dropped 20 to 30 feet at a time, it was crazy! Some of us put our hands up and screamed a bit, some held hands, some closed their eyes trying to keep calm, some prayed. I listened to music. Adele has a very soothing voice. Thank you Adele, for keeping me calm. It's nice to be back home, but every day I feel this longing to go back, I'm sure it'll never fully go away. I'm sure it's more than just the longing to go back to these two beautiful countries, it's the longing of travel. Every time you immerse yourself in a new country, I feel that the urge becomes stronger. One day, I will travel the world and Australia and New Zealand have brought me two steps closer. I'll never forget this trip. Thank you to everyone who made it happen, my parents, my teachers, my peers, you made this trip unforgettable.

Day 9 - Kuranda

Even though today was our last day, we made the most of it in a pleasant, beautiful, little town called Kuranda. It felt like we were going back in time to the Wild West, the sun was shining, the sky was a perfect blue, birds were chirping and the grass was swaying. We're waiting at the train tracks and then this train unlike any other I've seen pulls up and the first three cars and covered top to bottom in Aboriginal symbols and  illustrations with many bright colors and designs, it was beautiful. Then, the rest of the train looked like an old westernized train, it was so quaint. On the inside, there were rows of big, long seats facing each other, the ride up the mountain was so peaceful and pleasant with the windows open, warm air blowing in your face, a few times some of us dozed off with smiles on our faces. We passed waterfalls and huge mountains and forests, you'd hear "ooohs" and "ahhhhs" constantly. Some of the scenery was too beautiful to even capture on camera, especially the waterfalls, I have the mental image engraved in my mind, the sight, the sound, the movement of the water, it's something you have to see with your own eyes. We then arrived in the cute, little town of Kuranda full of little eateries and shops with handmade and authentic clothing and trinkets, you could see the Aboriginal influence in everything. After some shopping and eating we took a short tour through the rainforest, saw some of the oldest and tallest trees in the world, and learned a lot about the nature of the rainforest.

 Afterwards, we got to see Aboriginal creations stories and performances, they were amazing. The Aboriginals would re-enact and imitate animals, like kangaroos, and for a moment you feel as if you really are looking at an animal, not a person. After the shows, we learned how to throw boomerangs and spears! It is a LOT harder than they make it look, but after that, I am determined to hone my skills, so when I visit Australia again (and I will), I can show them I can do it too!

Top 10 in Australia and New Zealand:


1.) The Great Barrier Reef - It was so breath-taking seeing all this underwater life up close and personal, and seeing the way every species cohabitated with one another. It really puts the environment in perspective for you, it makes you want to strive to protect something so beautiful.

2.) Rangitoto College - These kids changed my life in just a few hours. I never would have expected to have such a close, rapid connection with people who live on the other side of the earth, with a different culture, being complete strangers, they were still teenagers, and it really taught me that no matter where you come from, we're all still the same. We're all still capable of loving one another. They were so kind. I actually cried as we drove away from the school.

3.) Rotorua - Despite the rotten smell, this town was so beautiful and so rich with history and culture, it really made you appreciate their values and lifestyle. I got to see what was probably the most beautiful sunrise...ever, one morning in this beautiful town. I also met some really friendly people locally here, like the waitor, Leighton, at the burger restuarant.

4.) Whakarewarewa-  I just absolutely fell in love with the Maori culture. I've never been into a village that's still inhabited with the native culture, and it was really amazing to see the beauty and really learn about the lifestyle of the Maori, currently and about their history. The thermal springs and geysers were a real beauty to see too.

5.) Cairns - This small town was so cute and even though we were only here for a short time, I loved it. I can't believe it was winter, it was 80 degrees and sunny, we got to go the pool and shop around. It felt like a summery town, so easy going and laid back, the people were also so friendly. On our last day, we experienced a gorgeous sunset.

6.) The Sydney Bridge - Wow. What was supposed to be maybe a 20 minute climb was around 3 hours, the view of Sydney from so high above was absolutely amazing. I'm not afraid of heights, but we were really high, it was insanely windy, but that didn't stop us. We took pictures, laughed, admired the aerial view, it was definately a worthwhile experience. My legs were so sore afterwards though.

7.) Luging - Not many people could say they've done something like this. Go - carting down a mountain in New Zealand. I zoomed down that mountain probably faster than I was supposed to, but the adrenaline rush was exhilirating, one of the funnest, craziest things I've ever done. We also met many nice people while going up the lifts who wanted to hear about America, and they told us about life in New Zealand.

8.) Sydney Wildlife World - I love animals, especially ones you don't see around often that are only found in a specific country. I've never seen a live kangaroo or koala up close before, and the fact that I got to pet a koala was awesome! They are so docile and soft, it was funny seeing the different personalities. Some of them just slept, some just ate, and the younger, rambunctious one, ran around and tree - hopped.

9.) Kuranda - Seeing natural beauty that was around in the prehistoric times was awesome! It felt like we had traveled back in time and were in Jurassic Park while we were in the rainforest! The town of Kuranda seemed so cut- off from mainstream and westernized life, it was a town of it's own and that's what I love about it. It was it's own culture - untouched and unique.

10.) Sydney - This city is teeming with life, it is gorgeous, especially at night with the light shows and the performances that come on. Sydney has so much to offer, the bridge, the Opera House, Wildlife World, the cliffs, whale watching, I can see why a place like this would the capitol of such an awesome country. You can never be bored in Sydney.

Day 8- The Great Barrier Reef

On the boat, ready to go snorkeling in the reef!

I can't tell you how many times I've watched Finding Nemo. I can't tell you how many times I've wished I could go to Australia and see the Sydney Opera House for myself. I definately never thought I would be swimming in the Great Barrier Reef, but today that's exactly what I did and I couldn't have been more excited! Albeit, I did go through a nervous spell beforehand because I'm not a very good swimmer at all - and I let myself believe that even though we had life vests, I was still going to find myself suffering due to my lack of swimming ability...

We're here!

Of course, it was a beautiful day in Cairns, a little windy, but nothing we weren't used to back in Chicago! We took a boat out to the middle of the ocean, it took about two hours, but it was extremely fun! The wind added a little adrenaline to our boat ride, because we caught some air on some of those waves, it was a bumpy ride, but we loved it! On the way there, we passed some beautiful islands, they looked uninhabited until you saw some wood houses cleverly built into the island forests. The water was some of the bluest I've ever seen, like what you picture when you think of the Caribbean waters in paradise. After two hours, we arrived at the Great Barrier Reef, and we didn't need the time duration to tell us that. You could see the new, bright colors in the water and some outline of coral as we approached the Reef, we were here! As soon as we arrived, we put on our gear, our lifevests, goggles, flippers, and snorkels and waded into the water. I hate cold water. Usually, it can take me up to an hour to even fully submerge my legs, but this water was sooooo......warm. It seriously felt like bathwater! So in Australia's "cold" winter, their ocean water is warm! Thank you, mother nature. Maddi and I immediately swam out and about into the reef and the sights we saw were incredible! We swam amidst a school of fish, they were bumping against me and all around me, I felt like a part of them, especially with my snorkel, I felt like I too, could breathe underwater. It's like my childhood fantasy come true, I felt like a mermaid. I was so excited, I opened my mouth to tell Maddi something....forgetting I was underwater and swallowed a huge mouthful of ocean water....it was disgusting. Like I had swallowed pure salt....and maybe a fish or two...not smart. I wanted to immerse myself deeper though, explore the bottom and see some of the shy fish and coral up close, so I faced this small fear of mine....took off my life vest, and my snorkel...took a deeeeep breath, and I dived. It was amazing seeing the life and diversity among the coral, fish hiding underneath and in it, fish chasing each other, the coral swaying and dancing, I could watch it forever....except I was running out of air. I did this many times, dived down into the depths and saw the beauty! Something was telling me not to get too close to the coral though, we were warned touching it could damage it, but I also remember learning somewhere that coral was very sharp as its defense. So I would float above it, completely still and flap my arms, I looked ridiculous, but I could watch the coral and not get scratched. It worked for me, because as we got out of the water, everyone was showing their battle wounds from the reef, big long, bleeding gashes....and I was scratch-free. Looking ridiculous has its advantages sometimes. When I got out of the reef I got o hold a sea cucumber (they're so slimy!) and a starfish straight from the reef, they were so cute! Then I enjoyed the rest of my time bathing out in the sun. Don't worry, I used SPF 30. On the ride back, it was difficult watching the Great Barrier Reef dissapear into the horizon, but it's one experience I will never forget and one I will be sure to tell over and over, time and time again.

Day 7 - Flight to Cairns!

Today was another travel day. After all the adventure we've been undergoing, a nice, relaxing day was well-appreciated. The flight was 3 hours, I dozed on and off, but when I looked out my window at Cairns, my jaw dropped. It was actually sunny and the landscape was just gorgeous! Beneath me was a green, vivacious rainforest and the bluest ocean I've ever seen! When we arrived in Cairns, we headed straight for the pool was was really cold, and people were staring at our big group of 36 american kids, trying to find out why we were suddenly invading their pool. Then, we got to around the cute little shops and get some lunch. Cairns is a really, small, quaint town, and I absolutely love it. It's definately somewhere I could live when I get older. Today was such a relaxing summer day. And yes, it actually felt like summer. I actually felt at home.

Day 6 - Traveling Independantly

Traveling is awakening. It allows parts of us that remain dormant to emerge and blossom in completely foreign, unknown environments. When we enter the unknown, it forces us to utilize all our senses to adapt and grasp what's around us and immerse ourselves in it. I've become more openly independant and able to cooperate with new groups of people. I'm learning how to truly immerse myself into a culture by embracing every aspect of it, especially traditions like with the Maori. If I had to make to make the trip to New Zealand and Austalia alone, right now, I do think I would be prepared for it. I have traveled ever since I was little, so I've learned what traveling takes, you always have to be self aware and cognizant of the culture you are surrounded by and dyou most definately need to be prepared for anything.

Day 5 - Beach and Wildlife World

Today as a whole was a great day, it rained....again, but it's important to make the most out of the situation and we didn't let the rain stop us from enjoying the city. We first got to go to these huge, beautiful cliffs and overlook the ocean, we even saw wild seals swimming around! It was extremely windy, I felt as if I was going to topple over the edge any moment, but the view was breath-taking. I felt like a little kid again as I climbed rocks and ran around trying to get pictures, it was one of those moments where everything is right, and everything is just uber interesting, and you just want to....explore. It's great to bring out the past like that sometimes.After that, we got to go to the beach and look at the ocean, it was beautiful! We also got to go back to the inner city and  ventured around taking pictures of the Opera house and Bridge and we stopped by more markets and had a bite to eat. Then, we got to go to Sydney Wildlife World, thank goodness it was inside, I was already soaked from out outdoor adventures that day! It was surprisingly huge, and we got to see so many different types of species, like the most venomous snake in the world, which is native to Australia. EEK! We also got to see alligators, kangaroos, koalas, many insects. I didn't dare look at the spiders, they are my worst fear, but we did get to pet a koala!
Koalas are the softest, cutest things in the world, and as we were standing next to it, you could smell the eucalyptus plant, it smells so fruity and great, no wonder that's the only thing they'll eat, al day, every day! Three things I've learned on this trip are to not let the weather get a hold of your mood and keep you down. I don't like rain and gray, but I still had the time of life, if you tell yourself you're going to have a good time, you most likely will. Second, always be prepared for the unexpected. Especially in a new country, you can't be sure of anything, make sure you are mentally and physically prepared if something doesn't turn our how you had thought. Our group went to a pizza restaurant for lunch, and it ended up costing a lot more, $150! But we were prepared and were able to split the cost and resolve the problem. Last, don't tavel in really large groups. It's great to want to be with all your friends and have fun, and share ideas and experiences together, but a group of eleven is a disaster waiting to happen. Travel in groups of 3 to 5.

Day 4 - Travel to Sydney

Today was laid back and pretty calming, it was a travel day, so we took a 3 hour plane ride from Auckland, New Zealand (bye kiwis!) to Sydney, Australia (hello aussies!). When we got there we put our things in our hotel, might I add the room Shelby, Katherine and I had was mega creepy, it was at the end of a dark hallway, had a mysterious vent with mysterious noises, and when the phone would ring, it sounded like a distant echo...like a ghost. Despite that, we had a fun day, we got to go to the Sydney rocks and overlook the cliffs and ocean, it was extremely windy, I thought I was going to fall off the cliff, but it was still beautiful! Then we got beautiful views of the Harbor bridge, and the Opera house! The Opera house was different than I imagined it, a little smaller, less white, than I imagined it, but still a sight to see! Then we got to travel up in a small elevator to the top of the Sydney Tower and overlook the whole city- it is absolutely huge and gorgeous! Even if you're afraid of heights, the view from the tower is a sight to see! After that, we got to go to a mall and get whatever lunch we wanted, I wanted something different and exotic, so I tried a Falafel. I'm full just thinking about it. Then we got to go to an outdoor market, even though it was pouring down rain, but I got some nice souvenirs out of that, like an authentic boomerang made by members of an Aboriginal tribe. It was a good day to just appreciate what Sydney had to offer. Sydney is actually really similar to Chicago in the way that it has a rich history and it's not really to crowded in the daytime, except when there's events going on. It can be very windy, like our little windy city and it had little vendors and stores similar to ours, just different names and brands. But it is also very different, Sydney is surrounded by more extreme geography, it has an ocean, rocks, and cliffs. Chicago has a huge lake. I feel like there's more to do in Sydney in general, whether it be night or day, although the city really does come alive at night, but all in all Sydney is a beautiful and fun city!

Day 3 - Redwood Forest and Kiwi Kids

Today we woke up extremely early, the sun was shining, I got out of bed with a smile on my face and the birds were chir--who I am kidding? We woke up at 4 something in the morning, it was pouring down rain, and today was the day we were going to go hiking into the Redwood forest. So all those things I just mentioned sound like a recipe for a bad time, right? Wrong! I had the time of my life, despite the bad weather and early wake up call! Thank goodness, I packed a big warm sweater and a raincoat, they saved my life today. It was raining kiwi and sheep! (I don't know if that's the phrase there...we rain cats and dogs, they might as well rain kiwi and sheep) I' pretty sure we all got lost trying to find the bus stop because it took a very long time, so by the time we got to the Redwood forest we only had an hour, but we made the most of it. We hiked triumphantly through the woods belting disney songs, "I'll make a man out of you", "A whole new world", "Hakuna Matata", and many, many more. I'm pretty sure some other tourists took pictures of us...we must've been a sight. We returned back to the hotel afterwards soaking wet, packed up things, and left Rotorua for good on our way to Auckland to go to Rangitoto College. It was sad to leave that rotten egg- smelling place behind, I was so excited to meet the kiwi kids we've been emailing for the past few weeks, like my penpal Rebekah!

Me and Rebekah pose for our picture!

We may have only spent 3 hours with these kids, but I have never in my life, become so close with people in so little time, they prepared so much for us, decorations, food, dance, music, they obviously put a LOT of time and planning into it, and they were some of the sweetest, outgoing people I've ever met! We had a blast! The evening started off with a group of their students in Maori dress and they performed the Haka and we did a Maori greeting with them, they sang a beautiful Maori song for us, and they wanted us to sing a song in return! So we sang The Star Spangled banner as best we could and they loved it From there, we all meshed together, laughed, played,
shared stories, goofy moments, took lots of pictures, I met Rebekah, she was the sweetest thing, we exchanged gift bags chock full of candy, and other cute things, best penpal ever! Then, they wanted us to learn the Haka, so to our best ability we learned and we all had a Haka - off, it was epic. Sadly, the 3 hours came to an end, we all shared long hugs and goodbyes and as we drove away on the bus, some of them ran after us waving, I had tears in my eyes. I'm going to miss them. I will make sure I see them again, we'll remain friends for a long time, I'm sure.

Day 2 - Rotorua

Shelby enjoying the Duck Tour

What a blessing to have woken up to such magnificent beauty on our first morning in Rotorua. We went to watch the sunrise after breakfast, so fascinated by the scene and nature in its entirety, the smell, for a moment, seemed to dissapear.It felt so unreal, it was misty and foggy, really making you utilize all your senses to take in the scene instead of just your eyes, which were hindered by mist. There were exotic birds everywhere too, like the Pokiko...which to me resembles something like an exotic chicken. The birds blended beautifully into their natural environment, all of it together, the sounds of their flapping wings, their chirps and squawks, splashes, all of it together was harmonious. Nature working as one. As we were done marveling over this rare beauty, it left as quickly as it arrived, and that meant it was time for our Duck Tour! We got to ride in an old WW1 model type of vehicle, we quacked at just about every person "fortuna

Duck tour on Lake Rotorua

te" enough to pass by or for us to pass by to grace them with our cacophony of sound. We continued on to Lake Rotorua, it felt like we in Jurassic Park it was so bizarre, you couldn't see 10 feet in front of you , and it one point it felt like at ant moment a dinosaur would come charging out of the forest or water and attack us. Our tour guide was awesome enough to play a spy theme song as we slowly descended into the water, it was one of the most epic moments of my life...The views were beautiful, the way these houses were embedded in the mountain, and the mist swirled around them. The Duck Tour ended by dropping us off at a village named Whakarewarewa, we definitely had a good time trying to pronounce it, and our super sweet tour guide taught us how to say it,of course when he say it in his Maori tongue, it sounded melodious, like music. Then, we learned we could just call it Whaka village for short. Way back when, it was actually a place where Maori warriors would gather and have meetings before a battle! The Maori is beautiful, and so is its culture. In the village, we learned so much about the Maori lifestyle, they have beautiful thermal springs, and geysers, and mud pools. Two times a day (am/pm) they can sit in the thermal pools (which are therapeautic) and watch as the sun rises or sets...they all look so youthful...They showed us their traditional way of cooking - in the steam under the ground, the shellfish only take 30 seconds. Later, we were lucky enough to experience a  Hangi dinner! The food was simply INCREDIBLE, potatoes, rice, bread, curry, pasta, noodles, and the dessert...pavlova, brownie and custard...it was heaven on a plate. The performers did the Haka for us and sang beautiful Maori love songs to. The women did the poi dance and we got a chance to attempt it gracefully...let's just say it's a lot harder than it looks.




 Today was culturally awakening and we got to learn about the Maori influence on New Zealand, it's history and where it stands today. The Maori have been very good at preserving. Preserving values, traditions, stories, lifestyle, language, structure, villages, they have a strong connection with their roots, where they come from, and who they are. They know its important for children to grow up with a strong sense of culture, so they, too, will want to preserve and protect it when they are older, so they strengthen that through song, dance, games, food when they are young. The Maori are a very accepting and kind culture, this shows their Hongi tradition, a nose and forehead touch and shaking of the hand, symbolizing acceptance and bonding of the soul. They were extremely kind to allow us into their village today and show us their exclusive, preserved lifestyle. This can be related to where Hawaii stands in the U.S, for the most part we all love Hawaiian culture, it's part of our country, but still feels foreign and exotic, probably due to it's preserves environment and culture, we accept them, they accept us. If they weren't as small and separated from the mass geography of the U.S, I'm sure we'd be much closer and embrace their culture. But, the difference between Maori and Hawiian culture is that in New Zealand they fully embrace their Maori culture, under every sign's english name is it's Maori name. What have we done/are we doing for Hawaii? Tearing down mountains, villages, trees to build...skyscrapers and make it a feigned tourist population. That's not embracing a culture, that's destroying it. Everyone should be able to experience the Maori culture, it's beautiful and will provide a new perspective on your own culture.

Day 1 - Rotorua

 To say today has been a LONG day would be an understatement. As I sit here, eyes half-closes, one moment away from passing out, I trace back through the day, how one day in New Zealand has already made such a impact on me with its incomparable beauty. After a back-aching 17 hour flight, touching down into the lushest, greenest scenery I've ever seen made all those hours melt away...New Zealand's landscape is breathtaking - rolling hills, vast , abundant forests, grass greener than jade stone, mist slowly wafting around the mountaintops. New Zealand's beauty is raw, pure and untouched, it
embraces its natural beauty with nothing to hide.

 It's not just it's beauty that was surprising, I was expecting less of a culture shock than what I'd bargained for - but, for the better. First off, was the fact that Kiwis here drive on the left side of the road, let's just say my group and I have had many close encounters with Kiwi drivers in Matamata. The cars here are also generally smaller than the ones we have in the U.S., for example, Hummers? Out of the question. SUV's? No. They also call gas "petrol", and here, it's verry expensive. Plus, they're environmentally aware, less petrol, less pollution, yeah? But we got to visit Hobbiton today, as a big Lord of the Rings fan....I was like a little kid in Wonderland. The second big culture shock was actually the slight language barrier actually. You wouldn't think of it to be something of a difficulty here, but whilst communicating with the  here, it was fairly difficult, not just the thick, native accent, but also the slang and typical sayings that one needs to have been well adjusted too. For example, instead of "fries" they say "chips, "lollies" instead of "candy", "sweet as" for that's so cool", "keen" for "excited/ in agreement. Lastly,  was the extrememly friendly and humorous nature of the New Zealand natives here. So many times today I came across people who were genuinely up for a chat asking us questions about our group and life in America, some favorite kiwis include the ticket seller/collector when we went luging, he would make funny captions and comments about our pictures. Luging is so much fun, we took a sky gondola up Mount Tarawera and we could overlook all the New Zealand landscape and we got to luge down a spiraled, bumpy mountain in these old type of skateboard/ go cart type vehicles. The last culture shock would have to be arriving in Rotorua and putting our things into our hotel which overlooked a beautiful thermal lake, but they also jokingly call "Rotorua" and "Rotten-rua" because the sulfur from the geysers and geothermals make it smell putridly of rotten eggs. Soon enough, we got used to it enough to go get either burges or pizza for dinner.

Luging course